Death to the Feeble Masses

Call it what you will. Glorior Belli is some serious black metal crossed with southern swamp rock and just a touch of experimentation. Earlier this year the band dropped Sundown (The Flock that Welcomes) (which we glowingly reviewed here) which represented a welcome return to form. It’s not only one of the band’s best albums but it’s arguably one of the best black metal albums of 2016. A startling work of beauty and grit. We were fortunate enough to have Billy Bayou of Glorior Belli sit down and waste his time answering our profile. It’s humorous, real, critical and just a bit sadistic.

How did you first get into playing music and have you achieved the level of success that you always hoped to achieve?

As far as I can remember I’ve always been into playing music, got my first guitar when I was about 11 years old. I started being serious about it later though when I was in high school. There isn’t really a level of success that I’m trying to achieve so to say. Sure, I get to set high objectives for myself, but I’m not exactly interested in “success”. If I was, I’d be doing something else surely, and I wouldn’t be proud to call myself an artist. I wouldn’t be a leader. Glorior Belli is my creation, it’s a very selfish beast and it only listens to me. What I want to hear is what you get! Our philosophy, our beliefs have become stronger. The music itself has become more personal, going over the limits of the genre. Glorior Belli is more than ever fulfilling my visions, meeting my expectations and affirming its personality toward the genre. It’s time for us to finally spread the fires of truth and to gather the hordes of the dark light.

What’s the most you have ever debased yourself to get your band onto a show, into a magazine or otherwise promoted, covered, debased and praised? If you don’t have a story please tell us any embarrassing story.

I’m too proud and certainly not giving a shit enough about promotion to ever “debase” myself, and certainly not for that matter. The idea is already nauseous enough…

What do you see as some of the great things happening in metal and what are some of the worst things happening inside the scene right now?

The worst things for me right now could be doing interviews. Great things happening in metal? Axl Rose broke his leg or something. He probably needed that much luck. And More people dying of course.

It seems that now everyone has a passion for some cause and that those people are very open about displaying their passions. This is probably a very, very good (and progressive) thing socially. What are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you and how do you insert those issues into your music?

How is this a good thing now that every fucking asshole in this world feels like their opinions and or causes matter? Just because they have internet so they can reach out to more other assholes out there doesn’t make it right. This is not a positive evolution.

Glorior Belli’s music is about strength. It’s about forging the weapons of your liberation and escape your cosmic jail. Do you think we give a shit about social issues, political bullshits and such? Those are just some of the bars of your cell.

What, or who, got you into metal and how old were you? How did your family take the news?

Curiosity got me there, possibly friends, or both. Listening to radio, mix tapes… My family didn’t think much of it. It’s not like I was listening to hip hop or something, then I sure hope they’d have kicked my ass.

What’s the stickiest you have ever been?

I always get confused with the dates, I think your mother remembers better than I do. (Editor’s note: Sick burn)

What advice do you have for aspiring music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?

If you ask me, we already have enough of them self proclaimed critics, journalists, bloggers… But if you’re really serious about this, and part of me really hopes that you are, then I would rather have you conducting a new interview in the future. But the kind that demonstrates you know what you’re talking about when you talk about Glorior Belli. Cause so far, I feel like I’m just filling up some kind of dating website interview since I started this. I don’t ask you to believe in everything I do, but challenge me at least. Are you not even intrigued by what I describe as a cosmic prison? How the hell do you come up with asking me about being sticky or my embarrassing shit rather than this? Moving on…

What’s your goal? You guys thinking world domination? Maybe saving a continent? Maybe invading one? Any interest in starting a cult? Do you guys have day jobs or hobbies you want to share? Whatever it is, please let us know.

We don’t need to share our daily routines. Everyone has them, and guess what, they always suck. If anything needs to be saved here, it’s you. Not sure I’d take on that job though…

Finally, when you’re not listening to, writing or playing metal, what are some of you favorite albums to listen to currently?

I haven’t been really listening to anything new lately… Outside the metal sphere, The Mars Volta, The Prodigy, some country music, Alice In Chains, little bit of Lera Lynn are amongst my favorites.